As aging medical facilities across the country slowly become outdated, owners and developers are faced with a decision: renovate or rebuild? This 66,000 s.f. medical office building, originally constructed in 1989, provides a prime example of the benefits of renovating an existing space–providing much-needed updates to the building’s common areas for existing and future tenants while avoiding the disruption of new construction. While the team initially targeted base-level LEED certification, sustainable efforts exceeded expectations and the project was ultimately submitted for certification at the Silver level.

Working in a fully occupied medical office building, one of the foremost concerns of the project was how to perform the necessary work with minimal disruption to the tenants. Maintaining operational egress paths required a multi-phased project approach, and a successful team dynamic between the design team, general contractor, and client kept coordination aloft around this effort. The integrated, collaborative approach allowed the team to navigate unknown conditions within the building that added complexity throughout construction–including the discovery that the building’s interior had an additional topping layer of concrete, creating differing levels between the interior and exterior of the building.

The renovation encompassed all the major common areas of the building—including updates to the exterior facade, lobbies, restrooms, and corridors—and enclosing multiple corner balconies, which required coordination and sign-off with various building tenants. The design team reconceptualized the common areas as open, modern spaces that maintain a throughline with the building’s original design. Vibrant pops of color augment the natural, earthy palette, including a large green wall in the building’s secondary lobby and environmental graphics by local design firm StudioH_Bar, inspired by the surrounding mountain landscape.

Matthew Herb, Senior Director of Development for Healthpeak Properties, says, “Our project was a major renovation of a 30-year-old building. Not only did Boulder Associates deliver a beautiful building as expected, they led the effort on solving the myriad of challenges that arise with a building of that vintage. I look forward to the opportunity to work with them again.”